“We’ve been in business since
1978,” Ashley Gray said, but
that first business wasn’t
anything like what it has grown
into. In the beginning, Gray’s
father was repairing Volkswagons.
Later, the business moved to
Nashville and expanded to include
repairs of other foreign cars.

Volkswagons started fading
from popularity, but new opportunities
arose. “Dad started selling
parts,” Gray said, “and in
’84 moved to the present location
and opened a salvage yard.”

During that time, Gray was
involved in the business. “I’ve
worked with my dad since I
was eight years old,” he said.
Except for his time in college,
“I’ve been working here all
my life.” When his father died,
Gray took over the company.

In 2006, the company bought
16 1/2 acres of property next
to the salvage yard, and it
was zoned to allow a scrap
yard. In January of 2007, the
yard opened as Gray’s Scrap
Iron and Metal. Although Gray
owns both, they are operated
as separate businesses.

Between the two, Gray keeps
busy. “I like to float around,”
he said of his involvement
in the two sides of the operation.
“It’s hard to get me to sit
still.”

One advantage to running both
a salvage yard and a scrap
yard is that “if inventory
isn’t selling, we scrap it.”
And when one business is slow,
it helps to have the other.
“The salvage side is doing
great,” Gray said, even though
the scrap business has been
difficult in the current market.

Working with Gray are 27 employees,
including some family members.
His wife runs the scrap yard
while his brother works “in
the parts side” of the salvage
business. His brother’s ex-wife
also works for the company
in the scrap business.

“We’re just a small-time business,”
Gray said, “but we do all the
stuff a big company can do,
but with more service.” In
fact, service is one thing
Gray stresses. “If they want
something ‘right now,’ I try
to do that,” he said. It’s
all about “doing what your
customer asks – don’t drag
your feet, do it. If we tell
you we’re going to be there,
we’re there.”

To get the job done, there
are two tractors with four
trailers, a roll-off truck
with 25 containers, and a box
truck for hauling nonferrous.
Yard equipment includes cranes,
crushers, a shear, and a car
drainer for removing liquids
from cars. Gray said that cars
are crushed in a building,
so there are no EPA issues,
and all the liquids are recycled.

But it’s not all about the
yards – the company will go
to the customer sites for demolition
jobs, to crush cars, or will
send a crane to clean up piles
of scrap. Gray said that his
company will take heavy equipment
that “nobody else will fool
with.” Between his heavy-duty
shear and his “two full-time
torch guys,” he can scrap just
about anything that comes in.

Pricing is always a challenge,
and particularly with the drop
in the market. “Prices fell
off a cliff overnight,” Gray
said. Now, people are holding
onto their material rather
than selling it. “Mills aren’t
buying. Everything is getting
stagnant.” Still, he’s looking
for the best prices. “We go
anywhere,” he said. “We’re
looking for the best bang for
the buck.”

Even with the bad economy,
Gray’s likes the challenge.
“I like the thrill of buying,”
he said. “I like getting the
deal done.”

Another challenge is “finding
people to work,” and particularly
finding younger employees who
want to drive trucks or work
in the yard rather than sitting
in an office. However, low
employee turnover means that
he’s not hiring that often.
In the salvage yard, some of
the employees have been with
the company for twenty years,
working with Gray’s father
since the beginning. On the
scrap side, most have been
with the company since it opened.
“We’ve got a good crew,” he
said.

Gray said that he was proud
that he was able to carry on
what his father started, and
proud of the length of time
the business has lasted. “I
did what he told me to do –
be humble – be true to your
work,” And he credits that
philosophy with the success
of the business. “We’re growing
at a steady pace; in the past
two years, we’ve come a long
way.”

As for the future? “I hope
to God I’m here another 30
years. It’s a challenging time
for everybody.”